Small bites: Soumu showcases the tastes and sounds of Africa

BRINGING THE BEAT: Adama Dembele arrived to Asheville in 2005. Since that time he has worked with LEAF Schools & Streets, sharing his music and culture with students of all ages. Photo by KMG Photography

Soce Diop will serve traditional African plates at the fourth annual Soumu — an African celebration combining food, music and dance. Among the items on the menu are maffe (peanut soup with tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, sweet potatoes and garlic), jollof rice (a mix of cabbage, eggplant, yucca, carrots and tomatoes over red rice), as well as servings of roasted chicken, lamb and fish.

Soumu got its start in 2011 as a fundraiser. Having arrived in Asheville in 2005 to perform with the Asheville-based band Toubab Krewe, Adama Dembele eventually sought financial support to obtain his green card. “He felt a strong connection … and decided to make Asheville his home,” says Ryan Reardon, bass player for Dembele’s band, Zansa. The inaugural event was a success, raising enough money to cover Dembele’s legal fees.

This year’s celebration will help fund construction for the new Djembeso Drum and Dance Education Center in Bamako, Mali, West Africa. In early 2015, the Ivory Coast government demolished the previous space, in addition to the Dembele family home. “[It] was a place for people of all ages to study drumming, dance and learn about West African culture,” says Reardon.

Zansa is among the numerous acts scheduled to perform at this year’s Soumu. The Asheville-based group blends African folk music with modern Afropop, African drumming and zouglou (dance-oriented, Ivorian street music). Other performers include Les Amix, the Imani School of Dance, Kevin “KalimbaMan” Spears and Dembele’s student drummers from LEAF. In addition to the music and dance, an African marketplace and an arts and crafts section will also be part of the celebration.

“The Dembele household has been a link between Asheville and West Africa for over a decade,” says Reardon. “Once this compound is rebuilt, we will set up a program for Ashevilleans to travel there and study this rich music and culture.”

Soumu: An African Celebration of Music, Food and Dance runs 5-11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, at Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Drive. The event is free and open to all ages. Food will be $10 per plate; vegan and vegetarian options are available. For details, visit salvagestation.com and zansamusic.com.

Westlake Wines open on Merrimon Avenue

North Asheville is about to get a new wine store — Westlake Wines officially opens on Thursday, Sept. 15. “We’re doing only boutique, curated wine collections and large-format bottled beer,” says owner James West. The shop also offers stock totes from Seltzer Goods and tins of coffee beans from Brooklyn Roasting Co., as well as glassware and wine tools. Wine tastings and monthly wine classes are in the works.

Westlake Wines is at 1020 Merrimon Ave. Hours will be noon-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and noon-4 p.m. Sunday-Monday. For more information, follow @westlakewines on Instagram and Twitter.

Cupcakes for a Cause at The Fresh Market

The Fresh Market continues its national partnership with No Kid Hungry as it hosts its fourth annual Cupcakes for a Cause campaign through Tuesday, Sept. 20. To help fight childhood hunger, The Fresh Market will sell paper cupcakes for $1 at its checkout counters with each one sold providing 10 healthy meals for a child in need. Also as part of the initiative, The Fresh Market will sell gourmet cupcakes of the edible variety. One dollar from each single cupcake sold and $2 from each four-pack sold will benefit No Kid Hungry.

Rhubarb makes Food Network’s top burgers list

Rhubarb’s Rhu Burger is featured on the Food Network’s recent list of 51 Top Burgers from Coast to Coast. It’s in tasty company, too: Sean Brock’s Husk in Charleston, S.C., Keith NcNally’s Minetta Tavern in New York City and Au Cheval in Chicago are also highlighted. Rhubarb chef and owner John Fleer — a four-time James Beard Award finalist — is recognized in the piece as one of Asheville’s “hottest chefs.” The article on the network’s website goes on to praise the locally sourced ingredients that go into his two seared and stacked patties.

Hendersonville chef named Chef of the Year

Jesse Roque, the executive chef at Hendersonville’s Never Blue, recently won the title of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Chef of the Year. Roque competed against 12 other chefs at the NCRLA Chef Showdown in Raleigh on Aug. 29, taking home wins for Most Creative Presentation and Best Use of Got To Be NC Ingredient in the savory category. Her dish of candied peach and mustard-glazed pork cheek tostada showcased products and produce from North Carolina purveyors, including Asheville’s own Lusty Monk and Milkco Inc., as well as Hendersonville’s Grow Water Farms and Johnson Family Farms.

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